Easily assembled steel structure



Jan. 10, 1967 s, BUICE 3,297,384

EASILY ASSEMBLED STEEL STRUCTURE Filed April 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W /9 F/y. 2 F/y. 3 l2- JNVENTOR.

Sam 0. Bu/ce Jan. 10, 1967 s. D. BUICE EASILY ASSEMBLED STEEL STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 9, 1965 Fly. 5

INVENTOR.

Sam 0. Bu/ce BY Mia W United States Patent 3,297,384 EASILY ASSEMBLED STEEL STRUCTURE Sam D. Buice, 5107 18th Ave. N., St. Petersburg, Fla. 33707 Filed Apr. 9, 1965, Ser. No. 447,009 2 Claims. (Cl. 312263) This invention relates to structure fabricated of sheet material for such uses as storage cabinets, portable shelters, shower stalls and toys.

It is an object of this invention to provide a structure which can be easily fabricated, shipped in dis-assembled condition and easily assembled by an unskilled person without tools at the point of use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a structure which can be fabricated and assembled without the use of any welding operations.

Another object is to provide a structure which is more rigid than those heretofore made of similar materials.

Another object is to provide in a structure made of sheet material means for supporting shelves or partitions at alternative locations by direct connection to an element whose prime function is to join contiguous outer walls of the structure.

Another object is to provide a cover and a base for sheet metal structures which can be easily removed, and which substantially strengthens said structures.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art from a study of the description and drawings in which- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a cabinet with the top removed.

FIGURE 2 is a detailed cross section view of one of the corners of said cabinet.

FIGURE 3 is a detailed view of a portion of a joiner strip.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a cover for said structure.

FIGURE 5 is a cross section view of the cover and associated side walls.

FIGURE 6 shows a detailed cross section view of a shelf and its means for support.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a structure made up of separate panels of material, prefereably steel, having a back 2, with sides 3 and 4 and a front 5.

Front 5 is shown with a large aperture 6, which may be left open as shown or may be equipped with doors as desired.

At each of the four longitudinal edges the sheet steel is bent or formed as shown at 7 at an angle of 135 to the plane of the panel, so that corresponding edges 7 of two adjacent panels contact closely at an angle that bisects the 90" corner angle.

The extremities of said edges 7 are bent to form a lip 8 at right angles to edges 7 toward the panels, and extend almost to the inner surfaces of said panels.

Sufiicient clearance is left between the ends of lips 8 and the surfaces of said side panels to permit joiner strips 9 to be slid over the contiguous lips 8 of two adjacent panels and to force said edges 7 into secure engagement with each other.

Joiner strip 9 is made long enough to extend almost from the bottom to the top of structure 1. It may be made of two or more separate lengths to facilitate assembly in restricted areas or under low ceilings Where the cabinet is assembled with the joiner strips in vertical position.

Joiner strip 9 is so proportioned that it closely fits around lips 8, and has clearance for the combined thickness of two edges 7. The extreme outermost edges 10 of strip 9 are preferably slidably engaged with the inner surface of the panels.

3,297,384 Patented Jan. 10, 1967 It is apparent from the description, and drawing that this corner assembly provides a structure of extreme compressed strength and longitudinal rigidity, as compared with conventional formed and spot welded structures.

Joiner strips 9 may also be utilized to support shelves or partitions 11, by means of tabs 13 formed integrally in strips 9 by punching U-shaped apertures 12 in strips 9. Preferably a larger opening is provided at the upper portion of tabs 13 to permit the convenient bending of tabs 13 to a position at right angles to strip 9 by the fingers of the person who is assembling the structure.

Each shelf or partition 11 is provided with slots 14 adjacent each corner to permit the insertion of tabs 13, which are then bent back toward strip 9, to lie flat on the surface of shelf 11.

Such tabs 13 may be placed in a continuous series along the length of strips 9 to permit the location of shelves 11 at various desired positions.

The cover and base of structure 1 are identical. They each comprise a sheet 15 having flanges 16 formed along each edge at right angles to the plane of said sheet and proportioned to closely fit into channels 17 formed along the corresponding edges of the panels.

Said flanges 16 have a series of extensions 18 which project through apertures 19 provided at corresponding positions at the bottoms of channels 17.

Said extensions 18 are bent over as shown at 20 to secure the various parts in rigid, permanent relationship.

It has been found that this invention substantially reduces the cost of fabricating, shipping and selling steel storage cabinets, but the concepts could obviously be used for small buildings used as bus stops, cabanas, portable toilet as well as in toy sets of building elements for assembly by children in various configurations.

In the utilization of this invention the various front, back, sides, covers, shelves and base panels are fabricated in a factory. Steel, aluminum, fiberglass or other plastic materials may be utilized depending on the ultimate use of the structure.

After fabrication the parts are shipped in dis-assembled state. Preferably all the parts needed for one structure are packed in a single compact carton.

It has been found that the simplicity of assembly, resulting from interchangeability of parts, the identical nature of top and bottom of side panels and of the joiner strips, makes it possible for unskilled persons to rapidly and properly assemble the structure upon the first attempt, without any instruction by word or drawing, whatever.

The preferred sequence of assembly, however is to take a side and the back panel, stand them on a relatively level floor so that their corresponding edges 7 are in approximately the desired relationships.

A joiner strip 9 is held above the panels and slid down over the edges 7 and lips 8, holds the side and back panel generally at right angles to each other.

The other side panel is similarly joined to the back panel, and finally the front panel is fastened in place.

The cover is then set in place with extensions 18 fitted into apertures 19. It has been found convenient to make the extensions 18 about one-half inch longer along one edge of said covers and bases than along the'op'posite edge, so that the longer extensions may be positioned in the apertures first, and subsequently the shorter extensions will in most instances find their way into their corresponding apertures without the need for any guidance on the part of the person assembling the structure.

All extensions 18 are next bent over as shown at 20, thus rigidly attaching the cover to the four vertical panels.

The structure is then picked up and turned upside down, to permit the base to be similarly attached.

The shelves 11 are of course cut off at each corner to provide clearance for joiner strips 9, and have slots 14 3 so located as to permit the extension therethrough of tabs 13.

I claim as my invention:

1. A structure of generally rectangular shape comprising four separate walls made of rigid sheet material, the contiguous edges thereof being formed to provide abutting lips which aline with the adjacent lips, the planes of each of said alining pairs of lips being generally perpendicular to the plane which bisects the angle formed by the planes of adjacent walls, each of said pairs of lips being held in rigid juxtaposition by means of a joiner strip which substantially encloses said pair of lips, said joiner strip being provided with a longitudinal series of perforations of such design as to permit the bending outwardly from said strips of tabs at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said strips.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1, including shelves proportioned to fit within the area outlined by said joiner strips and having slots adapted to receive said tabs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Examiner.

F. DOMOTOR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A STRUCTURE OF GENERALLY RECTANGULAR SHAPE COMPRISING FOUR SEPARATE WALLS MADE OF RIGID SHEET MATERIAL, THE CONTIGUOUS EDGES THEREOF BEING FORMED TO PROVIDE ABUTTING LIPS WHICH ALINE WITH THE ADJACENT LIPS, THE PLANES OF EACH OF SAID ALINING PAIRS OF LIPS BEING GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE PLANE WHICH BISECTS THE ANGLE FORMED BY THE PLANES OF ADJACENT WALLS, EACH OF SAID PAIRS OF LIPS BEING HELD IN RIGID JUXTAPOSITION BY MEANS OF A JOINER STRIP 